Nut-locking plate



(No Model.)

J. SMITH.

NUT LOCKING PLATE.

No. 253,638. Patented Feb. 14,1882.

f: i H@ l Q `.AJHHH/ HIM lilium 1 `(\n|"\` y Mluhmf y I l L i Y IR@ i Illum #4'5" .s l

ci i g.

l c Hl #4"1! uuml! L1 tends into the plate beside the bolt-hole diag- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

JOHN SMITH, OF VERONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

NUT-LOCKING PLATE.

SPECIFICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,638, dated February 14, 1882,

Application filed December 7, 1881.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J oHN SMITH, ot' Verona, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Nut-Locking Plates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a tull,elear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspectiveA view of my iinproved nut-locking plate. Fig. 2 isa side view ofa rail-joint, illustratingthe use of the plate; and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line a; w, Fig. 2, part only of the joint being shown.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

My invention relates to certain improvements in washers or plates for securing nuts on bolts to be used in securing railroad-joints, bridge-work, and like connections. Heretofore many differentdevices have been employed for this purpose, there being, among others, a metal plate, which fitted over the bolt, and had a spring-lip adapted to spring up along one edge of the nut and prevent its screwing oft'.

The object of my invention is to so improvev the construction ot' these spring locking-plates as to make them sure of action and enable them to lock different sizes and shapes of nuts at many different parts of their turn', and thus adapt them more perfectly for use in machinery.

It consists, rst,in aunt-locking plate adapted to t over two adjacent bolts, and having at each end a spripg-lip the edge whereof exonally of the length ofthe plate, and a supplemental spring-lip at the outer end of the plate, the edge of this lip being arranged to catch the nut at a different part of its turn from the other lip; and, second, in certa-in other details of construction hereinafter set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

Myinvention is illustrated in connection with a rail-joint, A A being the meeting-rails, B the sh-plate, C the bolts, and D the nuts, all of which are of the ordinary construction.

E is my improved locking-plate, which is formed of sheet-steel, and is arranged to lock (No model.)

two adjacent nuts, so that two of the plates are employed at each railjoint. Ithas the holtholes e, which tit over the bolts D, the metal around these holes being pressedup so as to form coneshaped or convex washersf, against which the nuts press when screwed up, and which prevent the rattling ot' the joint or the stripping of threads. The plate between these Washers is formed slightly hollowed or concave, as at g, so as to give strength to theplate and prevent its being bent out of shape in handling or use, as well as to render the bending up ofthe spring-lips easier.

At the upper side of the right-hand washer and lower side of the left-hand washer are the spring-lips lc, the edges ot which extend diagonally along the side of the washers or boltholes into the plates, the lips heilig bent up from about the center ot' theplate. The edges of the lips are made diagonal to the length of the plate, so that they may extend past theA center of the washers without so vcutting into the plate as to weaken it, and thus be enabled to lock square, hexagonal, or other angular nuts, as well as dierent sizes of these nuts,.

the nuts catching by means ofthe sides or corners against the lips. the plate diagonally it is more easily bent up, it being practically impossible to bend the lip up sufficiently and impart to it the proper spring or elasticity in plates for locking two,

nuts where it is cut into the angles thereto.

In order to insure the springing back of the lip k, the edge of the plate is cut into at l a short distance back of the spring-lip, and the corner nearest the lip is bentdown, so as to rest against the {ish-plate and iorm a i'ulcrum, m, which serves to hold the spring-lip up in place whenever the plate is pressed tight to place by the nuts.

Instead of cutting the plate to form the fulcrum, it may be swaged down at the proper point, so as to form a lug which presses against the fish-plate.

As the spring-lip kis only adapted tolock the nut on each turn as many times as it has faces or sides, as on a`quarter,slxtl1, or eighth turn, and it is often desirable to lockit when not in position to be held by the ,lip, I provide the plate with an auxiliary spring-hina, on the opplate at right B vcutting the lip into IOO posite side of the washer at each end of the plate. The edge of this lip a extends into the plate at a different angle from thelip lf, so that but a slight turn of the nut will be necessary to catch against and be held by one or the other spring-lip.

The plate, shaped as above described, can be rapidly formed by means of suitable dies in a press.

My improved locking-plate is used in the following manner: After the parts to be joined have been placed together the bolts are passed through the rail and sh plates or other parts t0 be connected, and the locking plate is placed over two adjacent bolts. rlhe nuts are then screwed on in the usual manner,thelower face of the nut pressing down the spring-lips as it passes over them and the lips springing up as soon as freed from the nuts. 1f the nut is not screwed up as tightly as desired when it is caught and held by the/lip k, it is turned a short distance farther around until caught and held by the auxiliary lip n, the two lips serving together to lock the nut in from eight to sixteen positions during one turn. The convex washers at the ends of the plate act as spring-washers and enable the nuts to be screwed up more tightly to place and prevent the rattling ofthe joint, taking up any slack it' the joint should settle, as well as to give suiiieiently to prevent the stripping of the nut or bolt threads on any sudden pressure against them on the passing of a heavy train. As theplateis pressed tightly to place by the nutsthefulcrum-points mcause the spring-lips to be held up or spring back to place, and so insure their locking the nuts. These fulcrum-points also enable the lips to be bent down more easily as the nuts pass over them, or, when bent do\v11.to screw oi'the nuts, it being only necessaryv to bend down thepoint and not the entire lip. As the edges ot' the spring-lips extend some distaneebeyond a line at right angles to them through the center of the bolt-hole, they are enabled by this longer face or edge to lock diilerent-sized nuts, the larger nuts locking` with their faces parallel with the edges ofthe lips, or nearly so, and the corners of the smaller ones catching at differver-bar, which catches on one side of the rail,

and has arms which press down the lips, thus freeing the nuts from the plate.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The nut-locking plate E, adapted to fit over two adjacent bolts, and having the springlips k, the edges whereof extend into the plate beside the bolt-holes and diagonally ot' its length, and the auxiliary' spring-lips a, the edges whereof are at a diierent angle from those of the spring-lips k, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The nut-locking plate E, adapted to t over two adjacent bolts, and having the convex washersf, spring-lips k, the edges whereof extend into the plate diagonally ofitslength, and the auxiliary spring-lips n, having their edges differing in line from those of thespringlips k, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A nut-locking plate having the springlip k extending into the plate beside the bolt-hole and diagonally ofthe length ofthe plate, and the fulcrum-point m, adapted to holdup the spring-lip, substantially as and for thc purposes set forth.

4. The locking-plate E, adapted to fit over two adjacent bolts having convex washers f at each end,beingformed concavein itslength, as at g, between said washers, and having spring-lips ls, the edges whereof extend into the plate beside the washers and diagonally of its length, substantially as and for the pur` poses set forth.

In testimony whereofl, the said JOHN SMITH, have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN SMITH. Witnesses:

F. G. KAY,

JAMES I. KAY. 

